Montenegro

Pivaska Canyon Road, near Durmitor NP

After watching the weather, and taking a rain day in Sarajevo we decided to head for the Pivaska canyon road. The forecast was for it to get better as the day aged.

The route takes a high pass over some mountains toward Foca and it was here we encountered some rain, with it quitting after we came down the pass from the top. Well prepared for it, the rain was of no bother at all and by Foca I installed our helmet cam for what lay ahead. The road from Foca to the Montenegro border does become a goat trail, complete with goats and a herder, which we hadn’t seen since the French Alps in 2011.

The border crossing was one of the easiest yet, complete dispelling a number of  comments written by some on the H U site, one specifically about the Eco-tax, and another that EU insurance doesn't cover Montenegro. Now the fun began. A warning on the highway to drive carefully.

Well the Pivaska Canyon route follows a canyon to Niksic and along the way goes through about 100 tunnels. As I watched the video briefly to get to tunnel 47, a spectacular hole in the rock that then there is a tunnel bored into lower, I was pleased that we had put up with the gravel in sections leading to the border.

The ride into Niksic was otherwise uneventful and after a break we decided to head to Oshrog Monastery, an Orthodox monastery built into the mountain and containing to large cave

Oshrog Monastery

openings within it.

This road proved a challenge with its twisty back route nature but we were up and back down in likely 1 ½ hrs. total and then onto Pervast.

Now Pervast had been recommended to us as a good place to stay from a location standpoint, which we agree with, but the accommodation there leaves a lot to be desired. We finally settled on the Hotel Admiral, just because it was the only clean place in town. There was a Konoba close by that we ate at that was very good though, the waiter grilling my chicken fillets on the open charcoal that the “lamb under bell” was also available on.

Bay of Kotor

Today, we spent a lazy morning getting ready, then headed into Kotor, an old walled city and another WHS ( of course). Actually there was a scene in the James Bond movie Casino Royale that had the Chief of Police of Montenegro arrested for drug charges. It was filmed in the square just after entering the old walled city. Since our friends Rick and Debbie will be here in a couple of weeks on a Cruise ship we wanted to get a report together for them. They should really enjoy the day trip there.

Casino Royale Scene

We then headed on to our destination for the day, another 25 kms away,  Sveti Stefan, an Adriatic Sea based beach town where we will get a chance to soak up some rays for a couple of days before tackling the roads of Albania. Stay tuned for more fun. Our B&B is Villa Drago, another excellent choice by Sandra.

View from our Balcony Sveti Stefan

View from our Window in Perast

Without a doubt our 2 days at Sveti Stefan and Villa Drago were top notch. We had room #3 which provided a great view over the Adriatic, and the small island which has now become private. The Villa Drago  is run by a family and they could not do enough for you. At one time we left our room to buy some stuff for breakfast the next day and when we came back they advised us they had a workman in the room fixing the bathroom door which wasn’t working. They offered us wine and beer and a seat on their patio. So while we waited a couple of Scotland came by and took a room so we were speaking with them about their travels. At 28 yrs, they had traveled a lot. The staff then brought out 8 puff icing sugar desserts, small like a donut, and served them to us for the delay as well. They were utterly fantastic. We were sad to have to leave there but Albania needs crossing.